Released July 18, 1995 Length 33:58 Artist Ramones Label Chrysalis Records Genre Punk rock | Recorded January–February, 1995 Language English Release date 18 July 1995 Producer Daniel Rey | |
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Similar Ramones albums, Punk rock albums | ||
¡Adiós Amigos! is the fourteenth and final studio album by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It was released on July 18, 1995, through Radioactive Records. The Ramones disbanded a year after its release and subsequent tour. All four of their original members (Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone and Tommy Ramone) died within two decades of the album's release.
Contents
Background
¡Adiós Amigos! features "Making Monsters For My Friends" and "It's Not For Me to Know" originally recorded by Dee Dee Ramone on his album I Hate Freaks Like You which he did with I.C.L.C., and "The Crusher" from Dee Dee Ramone's short rap career as Dee Dee King, as well as a cover of Tom Waits' "I Don't Want to Grow Up" and a cover of Johnny Thunders song "I Love You."
The Japanese version of the album features the bonus track "R.A.M.O.N.E.S.," originally recorded by Motörhead as a tribute to the Ramones on their 1916 album. The American version of the album features a hidden track, "Spider-Man," slightly different from the same song the Ramones originally recorded for the Saturday Morning tribute album. C.J. Ramone, Dee Dee's replacement, sings lead vocals on tracks two, four, eight and ten, as well as the bonus track "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." Dee Dee Ramone himself appeared on "Born to Die in Berlin," while singing in German and recorded by phone.
In a reverse decision, many tracks on ¡Adiós Amigos! are performed at a slower pace because of Joey's maturing, ailing vocals, a factor the band had acknowledged in previous years. In preceding tours the band had originally played faster with negative reviews of the shows being the result.
Artwork
The album cover of ¡Adiós Amigos!, which features two allosaurus wearing Mexican hats, is a digitally altered version of a painting by artist Mark Kostabi, named Enasaurs, which features the dinosaurs wearing yellow witch hats. The back cover shows the band tied and bound before being executed by a firing squad. The Mexican man seated next to the band is their longtime road manager Monte Melnick.
Reception
¡Adiós Amigos! received mixed to positive reviews from several publications such as Rolling Stone and Uncut, being viewed by many fans as a return to form for the band.
The song "I Don't Want to Grow Up", originally composed by Tom Waits, managed to become somewhat of a hit for the group, reaching the top 40 of Billboard's modern rock chart. In contrast to the Ramones' long-running inability to break through single charts, the lead-in track "I Don't Want to Grow Up" was a top No. 30 hit on Billboard's modern rock list.
Personnel
Songs
1I Don't Want to Grow Up2:45
2Makin Monsters for My Friends2:36
3It's Not for Me to Know2:52